


the other side of sorrow

by ladymedraut



Category: 15th Century CE RPF, The Sunne in Splendour - Sharon Kay Penman
Genre: F/M, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:53:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22825924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladymedraut/pseuds/ladymedraut
Summary: "I will see you in another land. Across the seas, through the clouds, on the other side of sorrow. I will be waiting for you there..."
Relationships: Anne Neville Queen of England/Richard III of England
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	the other side of sorrow

_I will see you in another land. Across the seas, through the clouds, on the other side of sorrow. I will be waiting for you there, my love._

She had wanted desperately to speak those words to him, to bestow what little comfort she could on him, but the breath had rattled from her lungs and taken her life with it. As the sun slid into shadow, she felt herself sliding with it. And the darkness, oh the darkness was sweet and cool and easy. There were no questions in the darkness of missing princes and tortured loyalties, in the darkness there was only darkness. And silence.

And so she went willingly into the darkness and the silence.

_Across the seas, through the clouds, on the other side of sorrow…_

* * *

Anne stood in front of the portrait, staring into grey eyes she thought she remembered from a dream. She knew that face, she was certain she had seen it somewhere before. At first glance, he had seemed morose, anxious, fiddling with the rings on his fingers and staring off tensely into the distance. But the longer she stood there, captivated before the very first painting in the National Portrait Gallery, the more she could have sworn he was smiling.

And oh, there was something in that ghost of a smile that tugged at her heart.

She had known that wry little turn of the mouth, the little bubble of laughter at a bad joke that would follow it, the softening of his eyes as he leaned in to kiss her –

* * *

_I am coming home. Across the seas, through the clouds, to the other side of sorrow. I am coming home to you, my love._

He did not need to speak those words aloud, which was a good thing since he did not have the strength left to draw breath. She was not in the world he was leaving, she was in the world he was going to, or so he hoped, or so he prayed. Who would have thought that he had so much blood in him? His world was red and black, but the darkness was quickly blotting out the red. And in the darkness, oh in the darkness there was rest and forgiveness and peace.

And so he dove willingly into the darkness and the peacefulness.

_Across the seas, through the clouds, to the other side of sorrow…_

* * *

Richard saw her standing in front of the portrait, her hair like dull copper in the low gallery lighting. At first glance, she was just another stranger. But the longer he stood there, staring at the portrait, staring at her, the more he could have sworn he’d seen her somewhere before. Not just the sort of passing encounter one has on the Tube, he had _known_ her. He had not seen her face, but he found that he knew her smile. 

And when she turned, there was something in her gaze that pierced straight through his soul. 

He had known those eyes, the way they creased when she smiled, the way they lit up when they met his across the room, the way they had dimmed with the sky outside - 

* * *

"Hello."

"Hi."

"Have we met before?"

"A long time ago, on the other side of sorrow."

"And now you've come home."

"And now I've come home."


End file.
